Sideways
by shaenyface
Summary: "These feelings won't go away, they've been knocking me sideways." For 500 years, Kagome's been telling Inuyasha he needs to fall in love, and now she's going to make him do it, one way or another. Slight AU. SessKag, InuOC
1. Small Town, USA

**I disclaim anything you recognize.**

* * *

**Small Town, USA**

There's really only three seasons in the South. The rainy one, the windy one, and the hot one. Each one of these can last through the whole year long, but it's been Agatha Lynn's experience that the seasons usually stay where they belong, despite the fact that the temperatures can range between the low 60's and the high 90's at any time of the year.

March was a slow month at the start of the rainy season for Travelers Rest Inn, and it always had been, ever since the small bed + breakfast was opened some 35 years prior. Samson, Alabama wasn't exactly a hot spot of tourist activity, but Granma Lou Merle had always told her that _"Every town's got to have one place to stay, child, and we might as well be it."_ Every year from March to November, Travelers Rest was open to the public and somehow managed to make enough money to keep being opened. This was the fifth year that Agatha was managing the place and she was once more hit with the wonders as to why. As she once again stared at the lobby in front of her and shook her head, wondering what had possessed her grandparents to open the place in the first place. Her grandfather Joe was a Veitnam veteran and her grandmother had been a nurse, and when they'd come back home her grandfather had found work in the construction business. Her grandmother had wanted to something to do with her spare time and so in March of 1975 they'd bought and opened Travelers Rest. She'd always thought that they were joking when they'd told her they'd met across a "battlefield of love" but when she'd found those pictures two years back of them before they were married she'd found that she'd been mistaken.

"Aggie Lynn, it ain't gonna clean itself, baby. You know that. No sense in you standin' there starin' at it." Her grandmother, 75 year old Lou Merle Noll bustled past her granddaughter with more energy than Agatha could imagine herself having at 75.

"Granma, I know I've asked this before but, why we gotta open this so early in the year? We don't ever get visitors up here this early." Agatha followed her grandmother behind the counter of the front desk and into the small office hidden behind a pale green door. It creaked open with a sigh and Agatha couldn't help the fact that her lip curled as a rather large cloud of dust found its way through the opening her grandmother had left.

"Now Aggie Lynn, how do you expect to get visitors if you ain't open?" Her grandmother poked her head back through the open door and grabbed ahold of Agatha's wrist. "Now, you remember how to take care of all the keys and things like that right?" Agatha turned on the light switch that her grandmother had neglected and stared at the fine layer of dust that had collected over everything in the office.

"Granma, you ask me that monthly. I haven't forgotten since November." She trailed a finger in the dust along the desk. "It's weird how much dust has collected in just three months. You'd think there wouldn't be this much since it's so humid." Her grandmother made a non-committal noise of agreement behind her and rummaged through the small closet, pulling out a broom, dustpan, mop and a few other cleaning supplies. She held them out triumphantly, pointedly ignoring the look on her granddaughters face.

"Now then. Let's get this done and we'll be back just in time for dinner. It's already almost noon. Your grandpa's making his specialty." She passed the broom and dustpan off to Agatha and went off in search of a faucet to fill the mop bucket with. Agatha looked down at the broom in her hand, around the room and then at the door her grandmother had just passed through.

"It's gonna be a long day."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so here's our introduction to our O.C. I do apologize if it seems that things are starting off slowly, but bear with me and I promise that it'll get better. Also, reviews would be lovely, as they help an author to grow. ^_^


	2. Tokyo Nights

**Once more, I disclaim.**

* * *

**Tokyo Nights**

If there was anything that he'd learned, it was that there was always something else to learn. He'd slayed countless demons over the years, with nothing more than a mere flick of his wrist. He'd silenced thousands with a single look. He'd ruled over lands with calm, assured leadership. He'd even managed to live for nearly eleven centuries. He was strong. He was fearless.

Or so he kept telling himself. As he sat on the finely made couch in his living room and glared at the clock he counted the ways he'd get yelled at for leaving and hunting them down. He knew that Kagome would yell at him, as would his daughter, but as the clock ticked closer and closer to 2 in the morning he was seriously thinking that the risk would be worth it.

"I know you're not thinking of leaving." He cursed his luck as Kagome entered the living room, taking a seat beside him and giving him the 'serious' stare she practiced frequently on him, their children, and his unlucky half-brother, before snuggling into his side. He managed to compose himself long enough to settle her more comfortably aganist him.

"They were supposed to be home two hours ago, dear." He replied, as though she couldn't read time or count. She made a non-committal sort of noise in the back of her throat.

"They're young and in love." She replied simply. He shot a rather incredulous look at the top of his mate's head but chose wisely to not reply. The next few moments passed in silence, with him fuming and still glaring at the clock on the wall and her beginning to snooze gently on his shoulder. Fifteen minutes to two, it was the sound of her snort-snore that finally cracked him. Her head jerked as she did it, not hard enough to push her off of his shoulder or wake her, but enough that it brought the smallest of smiles to his face. He pressed a gentle kiss to her head and woke her as gently as he could.

"Let me take you to bed." He whispered, and he wasn't oblivious to the love in the tone. He hadn't always had a soft spot for her, but she'd wormed her way into his heart and he'd been in her debt ever since. "It's late, and you shouldn't be sitting up with me." Kagome stretched and gave him another of her non-committal hums and was about to give him a more substantial sort of reply when the door that he'd previously been glaring at - between glares at the clock - slammed open and his obviously unimpressed daughter was frog-marched into the living room by his half-brother. He hid his relief beneath a mask he'd practiced for nearly a thousand years.

"Inuyasha." He gave his half-brother a nod and a look that spoke volumes and turned his golden stare to his daughter. He watched with slight awe as her face morphed into a near mirror image of his mate's when she wanted something. "You're not getting out of it this time, Mai. You know that your curfew was midnight." His daughter crossed her arms and pouted for a moment, as if she was trying to decide what to say, but her mother sealed the deal.

"Do you know what time it is? Do you know how long your father has been sitting here?" As Kagome frog-marched their daughter back to her room, yelling about grounded this and do-you-know-what-you've-put-us-through that, Sesshomaru walked across the room to catch Inuyasha before he disappeared into his part of the house.

"Inuyasha, thank you for finding her. Kagome was reluctant to let me do it." Inuyasha gave Sesshomaru a small smirk that told him there was more than just the fact that Mai had broken curfew again.

"Well, I guess you could say that she lost track of time." As Inuyasha began to walk away, Sesshomaru caught him by the elbow.

"What do you mean by that, brother?" Sesshomaru resisted the urge to beat his half-brother halfway to his deathbed, but only because he knew that his mate wouldn't like that or that they'd have to hire cleaners to get the blood out of the white carpet.

"Well, it is pretty hard to see a watch when you're attached at the lip to someone." Inuyasha smoothly and wisely moved out of his half-brother's reach and was down the hall before Sesshomaru could really react. Sesshomaru stood shock-still for a split second before turning on his heel - his silvery-white hair flowing out behind him - and yelling loud enough to wake the rest of the residents of the house.

"Mai Taisho you are never leaving this house again!"

* * *

**A/N: **And so Inuyasha and Co. make their first appearance! Well, sort of. I just love the image of Sesshomaru as a father. Especially the father of a girl. A teenage girl. Who is exactly like her mother. Tickles me pink, actually. ^_^


	3. Hard Decisions

**I disclaim.**

* * *

**Hard Decisions**

It was nearly two in the afternoon before Agatha and her grandmother finished cleaning the lobby and a few of the rooms that appeared worse for the wear. As they placed the cleaning supplies back into the closet, Agatha stared at the small office. She'd kept the office very impersonal, having hired a few employees over the last couple of seasons, and she was contemplating a new paint job when she heard her grandfather's voice from the front lobby. Agatha ducked her head around the corner and then followed her grandmother out after shutting the door behind her. Granpa Joe was a tall man, and despite the years that he'd gained since the Vietnam war he still had the build of a military man. He hugged her as she walked by and gave her grandmother the smile that Granma Lou Merle told Agatha had won her heart some fifty years beforehand. Agatha sighed wistfully as she followed the pair out of the lobby and locked the door behind her. As she followed her grandparents across the street to their quaint little house she found herself wishing and hoping that she could find the same kind of forever-love like they had.

Granma Lou Merle had once told Agatha that love just wasn't love if you weren't willing to make the hardest decision you've ever had to make in your life for the person you loved. Agatha wasn't sure what the hardest decision in her life would be, but she knew what the hardest decision had been in her grandparents life. The year 1993 started like most of the years had in the six years of Agatha's life, and she was surrounded by happiness and love. As the only child of her parents Matthew and Christina, she was spoiled just enough for people to know that she was an only child. Her grandparents on both sides loved her and cherished her, and as far as she could tell by her six-year-old standards, there wasn't a single person in the world who had a better life. In June of 93 her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The cancer ravaged her so quickly that they buried her before three months were over. She couldn't remember crying, but she could remember that her father was devastated and spent the week before they buried her clinging tightly to his daughter. She couldn't always call up a picture of her mother in her memory but she'd seen enough pictures to know that she'd grown up to look just like her.

The day of the funeral had been a sad affair in the first place, but the gloomy covering of clouds didn't help with the gloom. Dressed in her best black dress, little Agatha stood next to her father and listened to the preacher talk about how her mother was a light in the community and a perfect example of motherhood and had lived a life for God. Agatha wasn't sure what all of it meant, but she knew that she'd loved her Mommy and she wasn't entirely sure why Mommy had gone away. They'd buried her mother just before noon and the rest of the afternoon was spent at the church and multiple casseroles were thrust into her fathers' hands. When it came time to leave, Agatha ambled into the car with her granma and granpa Noll and her father climbed into the car with her mothers' parents. The plan was to drop them off at their house and then come pick up Agatha from the Noll house. The only problem with the plan was that the tired truck driver didn't know about it.

"Aggie Lynn, are you coming?" Her grandfather's voice pulled her out of memories that were nearly 18 years old. She realized she'd stopped walking in the middle of the road and despite the fact that it wasn't a busy street in a busy town the idea of becoming a pancake wasn't very appealing. She jogged the rest of the way across the street and followed her grandparents into the house. Her grandfather patted her on the back as she walked into the house and she gave him a hug as she passed him.

"So what's for dinner Granpa Joe?" She asked him after kicking her shoes off and walking into the kitchen. Her grandmother looked up from the sink and the vegetables that she'd started washing and gave her a smile.

"My specialty, pretty girl." He patted her head as he headed out to the back yard where the grill was smoking merrily. Agatha gave her grandfather a belated smile and walked to the sink where her grandmother was washing vegetables she'd grown outback.

"Need any help Granma?" Agatha asked the question out of habit, knowing that her grandmother was going to shoo her away into another part of the house. Her grandmother gave her a smile and shook her head, responding that she didn't need any help and why didn't Aggie Lynn go wash up in the bathroom. She hugged her grandmother before she left the kitchen and trudged up to the room that had been hers for so many years. She supposed, as she walked through the door, that it still was hers for all intents and purposes. As she stared around the room at the knick knacks and pictures that had been collected over the years she thought back to the day of her mother's funeral.

The semi truck had hit her father's car so hard that crew cleaning the sides of the road found pieces of the car months after the accident. Her mothers' parents had died instantly, but her father had managed to survive long enough to be rushed to the hospital and plugged into machines. She had a vague recollection of rushing to the hospital and sitting in her pretty black dress in the sterile white waiting room. She didn't like the smell and was crabby and tired and didn't understand what they meant when they said that her daddy might not survive. Her daddy was the strongest person she'd ever known in all the six years of her life and these people in white coats and green shirts just didn't understand that she needed her daddy to wake up now, thank you, and take her home.

The decision to pull the plug on her father had been one that she'd never understood the reasons her grandparents had made it. She knew all the logical reasons and looking back on it now, she could safely say that she was glad they'd did it and that he hadn't had to suffer, but the six-year-old inside of her just wanted mommy and daddy back. As she left the bedroom and walked into the upstairs bathroom she'd taken over as a child, she caught sight of a collage that her friends had made for her for graduation. She stared at the pictures with a soft smile on her face and shook her head.

"No use chasing after the past, Aggie girl." The words came from her own mouth, but she knew them best in Granpa Joe's voice. She couldn't count how many times he'd told her that when she was growing up and despite how much she'd hated hear it, she'd known then it was the truth. It was a truth that she was better equipped to accept now, and as she washed up for dinner, she reminded herself that it was the start of tourist season and soon she'd be busy enough that she wouldn't have to worry about getting caught in the past. And so, when she was called down to dinner shortly after coming to that realization, she managed to come downstairs with a smile on her face and hope that her troubles would soon be over.

* * *

**A/N:** More of our OC. How are we feeling Aggie Lynn? I happen to like her, but then again, I made her.


	4. Peace Offerings

**I disclaim.**

* * *

**Peace Offerings**

Inuyasha was sprawled on the sofa in his wing of the house reading a book when he heard the sound of raised voices from the other end of the house. Sesshomaru's voice was a low murmur and Inuyasha could tell from the underlying strain in it that his half-brother was seriously holding himself back from yelling. Shortly after Sesshomaru finished speaking Kagome's voice filled the space left by his silence. He could make out her words and knew they were having a discussion with Mai about her actions the previous night. He used the word discussion loosely as the sound of Kagome's shrieks filled his sensative ears. A wry smile crossed his face before he could stop it; he couldn't honestly remember the last time he'd heard Kagome shriek at him and Sesshomaru, but he was certainly glad that her yells were directed at someone other than him. When Kagome paused for breath he heard Mai cut in to try and defend herself and he also heard the way Kagome cut her off. He listened as Kagome instructed her to come to his wing and apologize for him having to go out and find her and rolled his eyes.

He knew she was coming down the hallway before she reached his door, and he wondered if she thought she was being sneaky or going to surprise him in any way. Her knock was quiet and so was his call for her to come in, and she had a sheepish look on her face that he knew from years and years of experience she'd inherited from her mother.

"Um, Uncle Inuyasha?" She was looking everywhere but him and despite the fact that Mai was rounding her 150th year she still somehow managed to appear as just a child to him. He wondered if everyone who had children in their families experienced the same thing.

"Yes Mai?" She fidgeted with the edge of her purple shirt and continued to seriously contemplate the carpet just beneath her slippered feet. He marked his page in the book he'd been reading and set it on the table beside his sofa. As he waited for her to speak again he began counting the tiles on the ceiling just behind her. When he reached into the fifties he opted for starting the conversation instead.

"Did you want something, Mai-Mai?" Despite the fact that Mai had insisted she'd grown out of the nickname long before, Inuyasha had always used it and she'd never corrected him.

"Um, I just wanted to apologize. I mean, well, you shouldn't have had to come find me and I'm sorry." She bowed low before him and gave him a sheepish look from behind the curtain of her hair. Inuyasha sat up and patted the seat beside him, waiting for his neice to join him.

"Look Mai-Mai, in case you hadn't noticed, your mother and father are a bit high strung where you kids are concerned. And I'm not saying that they're wrong for being that way. They've got every right to be protective of all of you, because no matter how old you are or how long you live, you'll always be their little babies." Mai gave her uncle a grudgingly agreeing look and Inuyasha took that as a cue to continue. "But on the other hand, you are also growing up. Breaking the rules is a part of that. So I'll make you a deal. Next time you think you're gonna be out late with a boy, you let me know and I'll see if I can't break it in for you with your mom. How about that?" Mai gave her uncle a smile and nodded her head.

"You'd do that Uncle Inuyasha?" Inuyasha gave Mai a tight hug before he replied.

"It'd save us both a load of grief from you mom." They shared a conspiratorial grin and Mai headed for the door. "But Mai-Mai, this doesn't mean I'm gonna get you out of any trouble. If you land yourself in it, you're just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it." Inuyasha took a great sort of satisfaction at the sour look that crossed his neice's face before she stormed out of the room, slamming doors and muttering things he heard clearly until she was slammed shut into her own room. Inuyasha chuckled before picking his book back up and sprawling back across the couch.

When Kagome walked into the room some thirty minutes later Inuyasha was snoozing on the sofa with the book dangling from his fingertips. She stared at him with a fondness that had never left her before shouting his name.

"INUYASHA!" As he jerked off the couch, tossing his book across the room in a manner that left her ducking for cover, she found herself once again wishing she'd brought a camera with her. He glanced quickly around the room for a threat and settled back against the couch when he realized she was the only person in the room with him. Inuyasha rubbed the sleep from his eyes and muttered something about stupid women and high pitches before giving her a look that clearly stated he was unimpressed with her chosen way to rouse him.

"Yes 'Gome?" His voice was rumbly with sleep and the butterflies that he had always given her did a flirty little dance in her stomach. She'd never really stopped loving him, but after years of fighting together - both physically and vocally - her heart had given up on loving him. And, considering her wonderful, loving husband and five fantastic children, she wouldn't have changed a thing.

"I wanted to thank you for bringing Mai back yesterday." She pushed his legs off the couch and plopped down next to him. Inuyasha offerred her a non-committal sort of grumble as a response and leaned heavily on his arm.

"Yeah, yeah. She is my neice after all." He stretched lazily, curling up in a way that reminded Kagome very strongly of a cat, and let loose a loud yawn. Kagome smiled fondly at him and tugged gently on his sidelock. His ears twitched just the smallest amount and she let out a small laugh.

"I know. But still. I wanted to thank you." Inuyasha blushed a pretty sort of pink color high on his cheeks before turning his head away. He'd never taken compliments or thanks very well and Kagome seemed to exploit that particular quirk of his. He gave her a look just out of the corner of his eyes before getting up and retrieving the book that he'd managed to toss all the way across the room. As he picked it up from where it lay haphazardly against the wall in the corner, he cleared his throat before turning around to face Kagome.

She'd been married to his half-brother for a very long time, and a long time ago he'd come to terms with that, but looking at her and knowing that every single night she slept next to his half-brother left a sort of ache in his chest that he wasn't sure how he was going to fill. As he walked to the bookshelf sitting just behind the sofa Kagome was now semi-sprawled across, he caught sight of the strange look on her face. He'd seen it on her face more and more recently and as he had never gained the ability to read her mind, the sight of it was becoming more and more frustrating.

"All right, Kagome. What's doing?' He set the book back into it's place on the bookshelf and turned to face her. She glanced at him over the back of the sofa, a distant look in her dark eyes.

"We've been alive for a long time." Inuyasha had a nasty feeling that he wouldn't like what she had to say, but he let her speak anyway. The years of living with her had taught he and Sesshomaru both that it was best to let her speak her entire piece before interjecting their opinions, as they were probably going to end up being wrong anyway. "And in that time I've made wonderful, unforgettable friends. I married a man who didn't think he deserved love, and I share a fantastic relationship with him. I've raised five children, each of whom have blessed me in ways I can't begin to tell you." She got up from the couch, walking to Inuyasha showly as though he was out of control and liable to strike. "But in all that time, I have never seen you fall in love." She stopped just short of him, eyeing him through dark lashes and a eyes full of concern. Inuyasha swallowed a sigh.

She'd been hinting around this for the past 500 years, give or take a decade, and he really wasn't in a mood to hash it out with her once again. In his experience, you lost the people you loved and he was very good at keeping everyone at arms length. But he recognized the determination in her eyes and knew that it'd really be no use to put up a fight, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"Look, Kagome, I -"

"I'm not asking you to go out and drag someone back by her hair, I'm just saying . . ." She trailed off, exasperation and inspiration bright in her eyes. "You spend all your time in this room. You read and eat and sleep and it's not enough. You need to get out and see the world. Things have changed since the time you were here last and I mean . . . Youkai are accepted in this world, it's not like you have to be trapped here." Inuyasha wondered if Kagome was finally at a loss for words and he was starting to prepare his escape plan when she took a deep breath and started up again. "Inuyasha if you don't start going out and meeting new people I'll, I'll . . . I'll make Sesshomaru kick you out!"

The threat was empty and they both knew it, but Inuyasha also knew that if she involved Sesshomaru things would become very uncomfortable around the house for a few centuries.

"Ah, damnit Kagome, why do you have to stick your nose in this? Maybe I like sitting around here." As the words left his mouth he knew all at once how big of a lie they were, which would've been alright, save for the fact that Kagome knew it just as well as he did. "Look, I'm just . . . I'm tired okay?" It wasn't that far from the truth, and it hurt to realize just how isolated he had become. "Don't forget, I'm still a Hanyou, okay? And no matter how much things have changed, I still don't belong in either world." Kagome's mouth thinned out and she was starting to argue, but Sesshomaru walked into the room just in time to save him.

"If you are finished yelling at Inuyasha, dearest, I'd like to speak with him." Kagome smiled fondly at her lifemate and gave him a kiss that he eagerly returned. Inuyasha resisted the urge to roll his eyes but did walk around to return to the couch. He exhaled on a great sigh as he took his seat back and found a spot on the wall about four inches off of the smooching to couple to focus on. When they were quite finished Kagome gave Inuyasha one last glare that would've withered a normal person before turning on her heel and leaving the half-brothers to their own disposal.

Inuyasha watched his brother with a careful eye as he settled himself into the easy chair just across from him. He might've traded his silken kimono and hakama for the more century appropriate three-piece business suit, but his brother still cut an impressive figure. His silver hair was still long and flowing, though he kept it bound when he was working. And his golden eyes were as sharp as ever, standing out in stark contrast to the magenta markings and blue cresent on his face. As Inuyashas' eyes met his brothers' eyes he sighed. Apparently Kagome had already dragged Sesshomaru over to her side. He wasn't sure why he'd thought Sesshomaru would side with him. Sesshomaru tended to stay in the neutral ground in each argument that had erupted over the ages, but it appeared that he'd grown tired of Kagome's constant nagging for Inuyasha to find someone special.

"I will, as Kagome did, extend my gratitude that you brought Mai home last night." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and shook his head. Sesshomaru would never, ever lose his formal way of speaking, no matter how long they lived. "And I would like to point out that, while you may find Kagome's constant commentary on your relationships irritating, she does have a point." Sesshomary had crossed his right leg over his left in the fashion of a true gentleman and his fingers were steepled in front of him, giving him the look of some sort of evil mastermind. As far as Inuyasha was concerned, he was.

"Look, I appreciate that you care enough to fight on her side on this, but it's not that simple." Inuyasha wasn't sure he'd be able to convince Sesshomaru of just how not easy it would be to get out there and find someone, and given the fact that Sesshomaru had actually taken a side he was nearly sure that it was a fight he wasn't going to win.

"Yes, your argument about being a hanyou. Kagome and I have been discussing this, and I believe that if you spend a little time travelling you'll see that it's not as much of a problem as you had previously thought. You may, of course, travel under the guise and name of your choice to the destination of your choosing, but you will be travelling." Sesshomaru's face was set into the hard, no-argument lines that Inuyasha had come to know almost as good as his own. He glanced at the ceiling for a brief fifteen seconds before sighing as deeply as he could.

"When do I leave?" Sesshomaru's answering smirk was nearly too much for the half-demon to handle and he was glad that he'd learned how to control his temper over the last few centuries. Sesshomaru smoothly rose from the chair he'd been sitting in and smoothed the front of his shirt.

"You'll leave tomorrow. I would suggest picking somewhere that you haven't been in the last century or so." As Sesshomaru left Inuyasha to his own devices he stared at the ceiling for just a moment longer, wondering when he'd completely lost control of the situation. He shook his head and turned for the door that lead into his bedroom area, a silly smile stuck on his face the whole way.

* * *

**A/N: **I really do love Kagome. I'm not a Kagome basher at all. But it is sort of fun to mess with her. ^_^


	5. Remember To Breathe

**I disclaim.**

* * *

**Remember to Breathe**

Agatha Lynn was quite certain she was going to scream. Dinner had been such a nice occasion and she'd retreated to her apartment shortly afterward. Around five that evening she'd decided to make one last check on the Inn before making herself some supper. It was then when she came across the twins. She took a deep breath and counted to ten as slowly as she could in her head. And she still felt the nearly overpowering urge to scream. She placed a hand to her head, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to breathe as deeply and calmly as she could.

"What possessed you to do this?" Her voice was strained and the young teens in front of her, as though realizing that they'd just landed themselves in a powder keg, suddenly appeared very sheepish. The shorter of the two worried the edge of her shirt while her brother twisted his fingers together and each offered up their own kind of prayer.

"Well, you see, we just wanted to do something to surprise you." Aggie gave her what could only be referred to as the look of ultimate disbelief. "And, well, we didn't mean for it to go this bad Aggie. Honest!" Aggie Lynn sighed and composed herself as well as she could. She knew that the twins really hadn't meant for things to get bad, they just had a terrible habit of disaster following them. And really, it wasn't as though they'd burnt down the lobby or anything. It was just a terrible shade of bright orange. Nothing that couldn't be fixed.

"Why orange?" Agatha was fond of the color, to be sure, but not when it was smeared all the way across the walls in the lobby of her Inn. As she stared in disbelief, the twins tried to come up with a way to explain.

"Well, you were saying when you closed shop before Christmas that you thought it could use some color in the lobby and we know how you like orange, so we thought that we'd surprise you with it. And we really didn't expect it to turn out this color and it didn't look so bad when we were painting in the daylight so I guess maybe now that it's getting darker -"

"Bree. Chill. I just . . . this is . . ." Aggie Lynn trailed off, pointing to the walls. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "It's nothing we can't fix. And by we, I mean you two, although it will go quicker if I help." Bree, and her brother Bryton, gave each other worried looks.

"You mean, we've got to paint it all over again?" Bryton was shyer than his sister, and she usually did all the talking, but he was known to get quite chatty with Aggie Lynn. Agatha ran a hand over her face as she stared at the walls.

"We're not gonna do anything with it tonight. You two are going to put those brushes and paint up, then you're going to go straight home and then in the morning, we'll deal with this, okay?" Agatha followed the twins through the routine, making sure she locked the door behind her as they left. She gave the orange walls one last look before shaking her head. Bree tapped Agatha on the shoulder and gave her a sheepish look.

"We really didn't mean to upset you. We just, you were kinda down the last time we saw you and we wanted to do something to make you happy." Agatha gave the teen a strained smile and hugged her to her side.

"I know Bree. It's just a bit bright, that's all. Tomorrow, in the morning, we'll look it all over and see what we can do about it, okay?" When the teen gave Agatha a small smile and nod, Agatha turned to her brother. "Now, you and Bryton get home before your momma comes looking okay?"

When she was sure that the twins were headed down the street to their house, Aggie Lynn headed back to her apartment, shaking her head the whole way. She knew that they'd only meant well, and she was sure that there was something they could do about the wall color, but as it was, she was halfway to frustrated and not sure she had a remedy for it. Once she was inside, she kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the couch with a barely suppressed sigh. Her cat, a grey tabby by the name of Xiggy, stretched and readjusted himself on the back of the couch after giving her a glare for waking him up. She reached up to pet his silky head.

"Something's gotta change, Xiggycat." The aforementioned cat simply gave Agatha a satisfied purr before slipping back into sleep.

* * *

Inuyasha was quite certain he was going to scream. After what seemed like countless hours in the plane and a few more hours trying to get through Customs, he was ready to go full demon and eat some people. He'd been under the impression that Sesshomaru had taken care of everything, but when he found himself filling out what had to have been the billionth form stating that yes, he had ordered this specific motorbike and no, he didn't know his exact destination and yes, he had all the funds he needed, he was contemplating flying back to Japan just to kick Sesshomaru's ass. It'd been a few centuries since their last real confrontation, and Inuyasha was feeling the need for another one.

"Mr. Ohashi?" Inuyasha to face the woman who'd called his name. She was shorter than him by a good foot and a half, and had a pleasantly blank face. "We just have a few more forms for you to sign and then we'll get you on your way." She motioned for him to follow her into another room. Inuyasha decided he'd have to just suck it up and make plans to kill his half-brother later.

A tiring two hours later Inuyasha was finally free of paperwork and seated on the back of his motorcycle. On a whim he'd flown into Miami, almost excited about the prospect of warm beaches and women in skimpy bikini's, but after all his time in the airport he was just ready to be on the road. Without much care as to his destination, Inuyasha turned the bike for the interstate, and drove.

* * *

Aggie Lynn jerked awake, startling the cat that was lazily draped across her chest. She rubbed at her eyes for a moment before searching for a clock. The large black clock on the wall beside her door ticked loudly and it took her a moment to realize it was nearly dawn. She stared at the clock for another moment before picking up Xiggy - who loudly protested being moved - and heading for her bedroom. She let her cat down onto her bed - noting how he managed to take up the majority of it - and sleepily made her way into her bathroom. After changing and taking care of all her nightly needs she slipped back into the bedroom, crawling beneath the covers and sliding Xiggy out of the way so she could fit. The grey tabby gave her a satisfied rumbling purr and curled up at her side, slipping back into sleep as easily as he'd come out of it.

She lay there petting the cat for a long moment before slipping back into dreams herself. The last thing she thought before slipping back into dreamland was how simple life would be if she could live like a cat and spend her life moving from nap to nap.

* * *

It was nearly dawn before Inuyasha decided to stop and find someplace to sleep. He wasn't particularly picky about star rating, as his only requirement was somewhere to sleep. He found himself checking into a Holiday Inn just off the interstate in Northeast Florida, trying and failing to be somewhat polite to the girl with the atrociously thick southern accent, and collapsing onto the King bed with an air of completely undignified grace. He'd tossed his duffle on the floor and stripped to his boxers before crawling into the bed, and he found himself once again counting ceiling tiles.

He just hoped that his trip was really for the best.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so Inuyasha's finally in the country! It might've been a bit rushed, but he's there now and that's what matters. Thoughts? ^_^


	6. WakeUp Calls

**I disclaim.**

* * *

**Wake-Up Calls**

Morning light streaked across the bedroom in thick yellow bars. The grey tabby cat that had been sprawled across the end of the bed gave his owner a loud meow as a way of 'good morning' and stalked off to find a warm piece of sunlight to snooze in. Agatha kept her eyes tightly closed, refusing to be awake. She had nearly succeeded with that plan when her phone rang. She turned onto her right side, opening her eyes the smallest crack to glare at the offending sound. For a split second she wondered when her ringtone had become _I'm Walking On Sunshine_ before reaching out to pick up her cell. The caller ID was flashing **McKenna Wade** and she stole a glance at the clock. Aggie Lynn sighed to herself before pushing the 'answer' button and bringing the phone to her ear.

"McKenna, you know it's only eight in the morning." Aggie rolled onto her back and stretched, ignoring McKenna's obviously delighted laughter.

_"Yes, I know. But you didn't call me yesterday."_ Aggie fought the urge to roll her eyes and settled for what had to have been a gargantuan yawn.

"That doesn't mean you had to wake me up." She managed to barely stifle another yawn before continuing. "I meant to call you last night, but I passed out on the couch. I guess I was really tired." She contemplated sitting up, but decided that she rather preferred to just lay there and prop the phone up with her pillow. She heard McKenna snort on the other side.

_"Whatever. I see how it is. You just don't love me anymore."_ Aggie rolled her eyes and stretched again, waiting for McKenna to continue. _"Anyway. I wanted to know when you were planning on coming and visiting me again."_ Aggie started counting tiles on the ceiling and gave herself a moment to think. McKenna Wade was her best friend in the entire world, but she always needed time to regroup after spending time with her.

"McKenna, I've got to open the Inn for business tomorrow and the season's just getting started. I can't leave just yet." She heard McKenna sigh on the other side of the line and decided that since she was awake, she might as well get up and get herself ready for the day.

_"Well, I guess that that means I'll just have to come up and see you. I gotta go, but I will be planning my trip okay? Love you."_ Aggie returned the sentiment and hung up, tossing the phone back onto her bed as she headed into the bathroom. Once she'd finished all her morning rituals, she streaked back into her bedroom, lunging for her underwear drawer. She hated the chill she got after a shower and was swift to get her undergarments on. She pulled on a pair of jeans that had certainly seen better days and a shirt from her high school drama days. After feeding the cat and making herself some breakfast, she pulled on some shoes and made her way over to the Inn. As she stared at the orange walls in the lobby, she wasn't sure how Bree had thought that it looked better in the sunlight. The light made it something of a neon orange color, plastered all over the walls. Aggie Lynn sighed.

"Well, at least it's only on the walls." She checked her watch, and figured that since it was past nine, the hardware shop should be open. After returning to her apartment and getting her wallet and keys, she decided to walk down to the hardware store and see what she could do about the paint job.

Aggie Lynn was not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. Once she was fully awake, however, she was pleasant no matter what hour of the day. She was rather fond of the cooler temperature in the morning hours and so when she walked into the hardware store about twenty minutes later, there was a smile on her face. The man behind the counter was only a year or two older than Aggie Lynn, and she smiled warmly at him as she walked around the counter to give him a hug.

"Colton Noll, when did you get back into town?" Her cousin smiled at her, returning the hug with gumption. Aggie Lynn hopped onto the counter her cousin had been leaning on and gave him an expectant look. He sighed and gave her what Aggie Lynn had dubbed the "Patented Noll-Man" smile.

"I got back in a few nights ago." He leaned back onto the counter behind him, studying his cousin. "What's got you here this early, Agatha Lynn?" Aggie stuck her tongue out at her cousin; he always insisted on calling her Agatha. The one time she'd asked him about it he'd simply shrugged, gave her the Noll-Man smile and told her that it was her name.

"Bree and her brother decided to paint my lobby this lovely shade of supernova orange." She gave Colton a half-grimacing smile. Her cousin looked as if he might laugh before he smothered it with a serious face. Aggie Lynn gave him a withering look before continuing. "And I need to do something that'll tone it down a bit." Colton couldn't smother the laugh that escaped him and narrowly dodged the well-aimed smack that Aggie Lynn sent his way. She followed her cousin back to the paints area, picking a rusty reddish color that would mask the bright orange color well and still be aesthetically pleasing. As she carried the cans of paint to the register, she gave her cousin a small smile.

"How's your momma doing? Last I heard she was in the hospital." Colton sighed and rang up the cost of the paint, giving her the obligatory family discount.

"As alright as she can be. She was there for some tests and they found that her cancer's come back." As Aggie Lynn handed over the money, she frowned.

"I thought they'd gotten all of it in the last surgery they did?" Her statement was questioning and the look in her cousin's eyes told her all that she needed to know. She'd never been particularly close to any of her other relatives - and she had plenty of them, Lord knew - but Colton and her had shared something in the fact that his father had died when he was young as well, and his mother had worked all of the time when he was younger. The two of them - one an orphan, and the other as good as - had bonded closer than any brother and sister they knew.

"The doctor said these things just come back sometimes. That there ain't anything can be done." He leaned heavily on the counter in front of him, shaking his head. "They give her a few months, if that." Aggie Lynn once again pondered at the unfairness of good people dying young. She placed a hand on one of the ones that Colton had balled up on the counter. She didn't have to say anything, he knew she was telling him silently that she would be there, through it all.

"Anyway, can't afford to get mushy on the job." He gave her a weak imitation of the Noll-Man smile and shrugged. "Sides, at least my walls ain't neon orange." Aggie Lynn scoffed and shook her head. Her cousin would never admit defeat, and it was part of the reason she loved him so much.

"Yeah, yeah. Feel free to come by and paint later." Colton gave her a look that said he was clearly not into that idea and she smiled. "I'll feed you." Bribery always worked with the men in her family, and bribery with food even more so.

"Well, maybe I'll drop by." He hedged, making Aggie Lynn snort with laughter.

"Yeah, yeah. Love you." She grabbed the two cans of paint and was nearly to the door before she turned back around. "Hey, let me borrow your truck." Colton eyed her warily, and she knew he was remembering the last time she'd tried to drive his monster of a truck. "I promise I'll bring it back as soon as I drop off the paint." She rolled her eyes and watched him weigh his chances.

"You'll make raspberry bars?" Her cousin was overly fond of the sweet treat she'd started making two years before, and she was completely surprised at how his waistline not only didn't grow, but seemed to shrink. She cursed high male metabolism and nodded, nearly missing the keys he tossed at her. "Bring it back in one piece." She rolled her eyes and headed for the door once again, determined that the day would be good.

* * *

Inuyasha woke with a start, his golden eyes focusing on the ceiling quicker than he actually woke up. He stared for a moment longer, wondering what had woken him so abruptly, when he noticed a buzzing sound that grew more annoying the longer it sounded. He was going to simply lay there until the sound went away, but when it seemed as though the annoying buzzing would continue forever, he grew a bit irritated. Snarling in a way that belied his demon heritage, he threw the covers from his bed, stalking to the buzzing bag on the floor. He had a bizzare moment where he remembered that scene in one movie - Fight Group? Fight Something? - where the character had his luggage taken because it was suspected of having a dildo. Red flashed through his vision as he imagined finding a buzzing dildo in his bag and he began making more plans to murder his half-brother, before he came to his senses and realized that the buzzing was from a phone that Kagome had shoved into his hands before they kicked him out of the house. As he read the number on the display he wondered briefly what time it was in Tokyo before pushing the answer button and putting the phone up to his ear.

"What time is it there?" His voice was full of gravel from his brief amount of sleep and he briefly wondered what it sounded like on the other end of the phone. Kagome sniffed in a way that he was all too used to hearing before replying.

_"Well that's a fine hello. Especially considering you didn't call to let us know you'd made it in just fine."_ Inuyasha yawned loudly, fully intent on crawling back into bed, even if it meant falling asleep on the phone. _"And since you want to know, it's ten at night here."_ Inuyasha glanced at the clock on his bedside table, noting the time at 8 in the morning, and the time difference as 14 hours. It certainly explained why he was so damn tired.

"I'm not a child, Kagome." He knew that he was mumbling into his pillow, but the bed was suddenly the most comfortable thing he'd ever lain on and he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a pillow so soft. "I can take care of myself you know." He was desperately trying to stay awake so that Kagome wouldn't yell at him any more than she probably was going to anyway, but he had a feeling that if she didn't provide him with some scintillating conversation quick like he was going to do just that.

_"I know that Inuyasha."_ He heard her pause, and speak some sweet nothings to her husband before returning to the phone. _"So, how was your flight? Do you like it so far?"_ Inuyasha ran through several different responses in his head before finally settling on one that would offend her the least.

"Kagome, when you and Sesshomaru took that eighth honeymoon a few years ago, did your phone ring at all?" He could practically hear her thinking on the other end of the phone, and before she could reply he added, "Think of this as my own personal honeymoon of one. And don't call me this early again." He hung up the damnable thing, a smirk of pleasure across his face. Irritating Kagome had always been a favorite pastime of his, and it seemed that it was one he was going to have to take up again. As he stared at the cellular phone in his hand he wondered why it worked. Weren't cell phones only supposed to work in their country of origin? He was tempted to follow the thought further, but quickly succumbed to the sleep that was vastly more tempting.

When Inuyasha roused from sleep a few hours later - somewhere in the ball park of eleven-thirty - he was more rested and far more pleasant that he had been. The phone that had woken him some three hours earlier was still in his hand and for a split second he contemplated dialing Kagome and Sesshomaru to ask them nonsensical questions, but figured that if Kagome answered at all she'd be even more testy than she'd been at eight when he'd hung up on her. Tossing that notion, and the mobile phone, aside, he crawled out of bed again and headed straight for the shower. After bathing and brushing the fuzz off his teeth, he dressed and considered his next plan of action. He wasn't following any sort of preset plan of action, and he supposed that any destination was as good as the last. Deciding to just ride the interstates until he found someplace worth staying in, he packed his bag and checked out of the Holiday Inn, decidedly more pleasant to the young lady who was at the front desk, even if her accent was just as thick as the girl the night before.

After getting some food from the little mom and pop restaurant just down the road - and making a promise to himself to have Kagome start cooking this fried okra and chicken salad - he set out on the road and had the feeling in his gut that his life was soon to change.

* * *

**A/N:** He's getting closer and closer! Once again, might've been a rushed way, but the story really deals with the two of them _together_ so I've got to get him there. A little more background on Aggie Lynn's side. Thoughts? ^_^


End file.
